Waqt

Yash Chopra's Waqt is a multi-starred lost-and-found Hindi melodrama. An earthquake destroys the home of a rich trader, and as a result his wife and three sons get separated, with only the youngest son remaining with his mother. But time causes all of them to meet again in some coincidental circumstances. Yes, it looks very typical today but it was one of the first of its sort, and it's thoroughly enjoyable. There are several genres within this one: a drama, a romance, a thriller, a musical, a courtroom drama. From emotions to suspense to music to coincidences to a happy ending, this one has it all, and like most of Yash Chopra's films, it is fun to watch. The film flows brilliantly with all the characters, the situations and the memorable songs, and its multi-starred cast performs well. Balraj Sahni and Achala Sachdev make for a very believable couple. Raaj Kumar gives a great performance and portrays the suave high-class professional thief with elegance and conviction. Sunil Dutt is very good as the humorous and lighthearted Ravi, Sadhana is grace personified as the lovely and beautiful Meena, Sharmila Tagore is likable as the peppy Renu, and Shashi Kapoor is fine as the simple Vijay. Among the songs, "O Meri Zohra Jabeen" and "Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu" are my favourite. It's been 45 years since this film's release, but time does not prevent Waqt from being a wonderful entertainer.

Waqt was a hugely successful film though the story was pretty normal for the sixties.It was the stylish acting of Raaj Kumar which caught the eye.Sunil Dutt and the rest were not far behind.Balraj Sahani was simply perfect.The music and lyrics are outstanding.Before this film Raaj Kumar was not in much demand but Waqt i think was the turning point in his career.With so many good actors/actresses the film creates a very professional and convincing atmosphere.The direction is first-class especially the romantic scenes and songs.The earthquake construction is weak.Also it is unbelievable that Raju fails to recognize his father when he is caught by him running from the law.The end makes up for the flimsy plot but still it seems contrived.This results in a very average film of its period though the style is refreshing and admirable.

Watching 'Waqy' was like making a pleasant visit to yesteryear's cinema. One wonders how Yash Chopra put it all together as it includes a stellar cast, wonderful music and engaging plot. Not only did he direct, he was responsible for other crew-work like choreography. even though the screenplay isn't original today, it was path-breaking at its time and it finely balances, comedy, drama, romance, hardship, music and suspense through coincidences. It is 'Waqt' that becomes a reference source for all of Chopra's future films e.g. Rani Mukherjee's rookie lawyer in 'Veer Zaara' parallel's Sunil Dutt's, Rekha (Silsila), Sridevi (Chandni), Preity (Veer Zaara) and pretty much every heroine in Chopra's films parallel Sadhana's grace and Juhi's (Darr) and Sridevi's (Lamhe) chirpiness parallel Sharmila's Renu.

Chopra does lightly tackle some issues such as coincidences, living in the present etc but 'Waqt' is an entertaining film, not one that will make you pick your brain. Though it is predictable, it remains enjoyable. Chopra had the three Kapoors (Raj, Shammi and Shashi) in mind to play the 3 brothers but (thankfully) he opted for Raaj Kumar and Sunil Dutt to play the elder brothers. The three brothers are different from one another. The eldest one is a charming and elegant thief, the younger one is an energetic hyperactive lawyer and the youngest one is a calm introvert. Raaj Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Shashi Kapoor fit their parts brilliantly. This is one of Raaj Kumar's best performances. Dutt and Kapoor are already known as fine actors. Sadhana brings grace and the actress has a delightful screen presence. A cute and chirpy Sharmila Tagore brings a smile and the voluptuous Shashikala makes a brief appearance too. Achala Sachdev is a complete natural and she shows the transition in her character with ease. Mr. Chinoy was made for Rehman and lastly, what would 'Waqt' be without Balraj Sahni? The actor just makes the cast complete.

'O Meri Zohra Jabeen' might be the most memorable track but the other songs are just as beautiful thanks to the magical voices of Asha Bhosle and Mahinder Kapoor. All have been wonderfully shot. I particularly liked the way Asha Bhosle's cabaret number 'Aage Bhi Jaane' was shot.

This is one evergreen classic that I've already watched numerous times. And, I haven't tired myself of it.

Waqt is a great from the Venerable Chopra institution when the Banner stood for quality and quality alone. This has an incredible Cast some including Raaj Kumar who had a very distinct style of his own. Sadhana was a cynosure of all eyes a glamor personified. The story is narrated well by Yash Chopra. This movie will remain as one of the best movies of the Sixties. What the current movies lack is the Star power of the movies and when the Producers choose Stars based on talent and not based on Film Fare awards which are not indicative of the real talent since they are fixed to the benefit of few ordained Actors. The intricate Film making technique is lost in the Commercial process.

I just watched this film and I highly recommend it to anyone who feels like making a trip into the Hindi cinema of yesteryear. While by no means original, the story has the perfect combination of drama, fun, romance, hardship and lucky coincidence. The court scenes at the end are wonderful, with Sunil Dutt in full 'Perry Mason' mode, and the finally comes with all the tears and high emotion that I've come to know and love from 'Bollywood' films. The songs are nice (a personal fav is 'O Meri Zohra Jabeen'), the ladies stunning, the gentlemen charming, and the young Shashi Kapoor divine! It took quite some searching to find a copy of this film on DVD but it was well worth the hunt.